SALINAS, CA - With the start of spring nearly upon us, the next few months will be marked by a change in culinary fare, an increase in produce consumption (at least in my kitchen), and the season’s holidays and festivities. Church Brothers Farms is jumping at these opportunities and showcasing a wide array of items for buy-side operators.

“On the foodservice side, Church Brothers will have its sights set on promoting three things in the coming months: Tuscan Salads, Burger & Sandwich Leaf, and Little Gems,” Ernst van Eeghen, Vice President of Foodservice Business Development, tells me. “We are seeing success with these items because they allow foodservice operators to take their offerings up a notch in terms of differentiation, quality, versatility, and flavor.”

Church Brothers Farms introduced its Tuscan Salads line of salad blends last summer. The program has been picked up by nationwide concepts looking for menu differentiation. On the horizon? Church Brothers Farms is looking at adding additional blends later this year.

“We also recently introduced Burger & Sandwich Leaf, a value-added whole leaf that is essentially green leaf with iceberg properties. It has a great crunch, holds up well to hot proteins, and has an almost perfectly round frilly edge for color and texture,” Ernst continues, beginning to round out the trio of premium Church Brothers Farms’ items.

Last but not least, the outfit’s Little Gems remains a hit across its customer base, gaining popularity with both foodservice and retail customers.

“They’re versatile. One head is perfect for an individual entrée or shared salad and has a sweet flavor and velvety bite. They’re kind of perfect,” Ernst says, and I can perceive the industry veteran’s well-known grin that tells me the product has an upward trajectory to be coveted.

Ernst begins to tie together all the program's high points with this statement: Know your food, know your farmer. Church Brothers Farms' message to its restaurant operator customers resonates deeply in our industry. As consumers seek to know more about the origins and roots of the food they eat, the message will become a movement.

“Our vertical integration gives us complete control and total transparency into the products we grow,” Ernst concludes.

Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow as the best of the best come to share their stories and more.

MARLBOROUGH, MA - BJ’s Wholesale Club has seen some positive gains as of late, and I don’t mean in the gym. The retailer recently reported its quarter four and full-year 2023 financial results for the fourteen and fifty-three weeks ended February 3, 2024.

“We ended fiscal 2023 on a strong note,” said Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our membership grew in robust fashion and we continue to retain members at all-time high rates. We delivered impressive market share gains in our clubs and at our gas pumps, driven by acceleration in traffic and growth in units sold. We improved our merchandising and value proposition meaningfully during the year and increasingly delivered both with greater convenience through our digital offerings. We also continued to grow our chain with six new clubs since the third quarter. I’m proud of our team and our progress and look forward to more growth in the future.”

For the 14 weeks ended February 3, 2024, BJ’s reported net sales of $5,248,879, a significant increase since the $4,827,762 recorded as of the 13 Weeks ended January 28, 2023.

Other highlights from the report include:

• Membership fee income increased by 6.5 percent year-over-year to $108.4 million
• The company continued to achieve a 90 percent tenured member renewal rate during fiscal 2023
• Income from continuing operations of $145.9 million and adjusted EBITDA of $290.7 million
• The company opened six new clubs since the third quarter

The complete financial report can be found here.

Keep coming back to ANUK for more industry news.

EUROPEAN UNION - Fifteen organizations from around the globe have joined forces to form the Alliance for Sustainable Packaging for Foods (ASPF) and engage with regulators, governments, researchers, and civil society organizations to ensure that food packaging regulations achieve environmental sustainability.

Recently, the alliance, which includes the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), applauded the science- and data-driven approach that the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has undertaken to conduct a life cycle analysis of reusable and single-use packaging for certain consumer uses including food applications.

This data-driven method can serve as an example for approaching regulatory decision-making when environmental trade-offs are considered, a release explained. However, the organization also noted that the JRC Life Cycle Analysis omitted considerations of food loss and waste.

“Publication after publication highlights the fact that studies of the environmental impact of packaging often overlook the environmental footprint of food that is lost or wasted due to inadequate packaging,” the organization explained in a statement. “In fact, the totality of the environmental footprint of lost or wasted food due to inadequate packaging can be greater than the impact of packaging itself. Much harder to quantify is the impact of packaging on ensuring food safety.”

ASPF summarized dozens of peer-reviewed studies in its position paper to highlight the critical relationship between packaging and food safety. It encourages regulators to consider technologies that offer alternatives to packaging, such as functional Price-Look-Up (PLU) stickers.

“The Alliance contends that food loss and waste, alternate technologies, and food safety should be considered within the context of future EU packaging and packaging waste rules to ensure well-intentioned efforts to rid the planet of single-use packaging waste do not risk the health and safety of European consumers,” ASPF continued. “This is one of the reasons why ASPF urges the EU legislator to carefully consider food safety and food quality considerations for packaging of unprocessed fruits and vegetables under 1.5 kilos and to maintain (until alternatives are found) the use of all functional stickers as they eliminate the need for packaging.”

Furthermore, ASPF urges that the legislation ensure food safety aspects are considered when adopting rules on the minimum recycled content for packaging that comes in contact with foods.

To read the statement in its entirety, click here.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow for more updates.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - GrubMarket is expanding its reach in the Southeastern United States. The wholesaler recently completed the acquisition of Performance Produce, a vertically integrated business that sells over 80 different items, sourced primarily from the U.S. and Mexico, to nearly 100 different retail customers.

"JR [Roach] embodies the true spirit of an entrepreneur—he started Performance Produce from scratch with his wife Virginia and worked tirelessly around the clock in the warehouse to personally fulfill all of his customers' needs,” Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of GrubMarket, stated. “As a fellow entrepreneur, I can appreciate the hard work and dedication required to achieve unmatched success and the sterling reputation built on dependability and reliability that Performance Produce has maintained for the last 17 years. Several of their largest customers have been with them since their earliest years, which is a testament to their outstanding customer service and enviable delivery and fulfillment track record."

Performance Produce employs dozens of employees and operates a cutting-edge Primus GFS-certified warehouse facility that spans 40,000 square feet in space, including 4 temperature-controlled coolers and several wrapping, labeling, bagging, and packing machines for 4PL service offerings. It offers a dependable and consistent supply of specialty foods and core items, including onions, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and other assorted fruits and vegetables.

According to a press release, Performance Produce's reliability and attention to customer service have allowed it to achieve an impressive 99 percent fulfillment delivery rate. After the acquisition, Performance Produce will continue to be managed by its current highly experienced and mission-driven leadership team.

"I started my career in the produce industry in 1977 and have experience working across every aspect of the business. My wife and I had always dreamed of running our own business, and we worked hard to build Performance Produce into the successful company you see today. Our outstanding reputation was not built overnight; it was our dedication to and consistent delivery of excellent customer service that allowed us to shine," said JR Roach, Owner of Performance Produce.

Following the acquisition, Performance Produce will utilize GrubMarket's WholesaleWare software suite as well as Orders IO.

For more from the release, click here. And keep reading ANUK to stay in the loop.

LOS ANGELES, CA - GEM-Pack Berries is one of the latest produce companies to announce innovative measures to solve sustainability challenges. The supplier signed a letter of intent with Bio Accelerated Degradable Plastic (BADP) to jointly develop an eco-friendly, sustainable packaging solution for strawberries leveraging microbial-induced enzyme additive technology.

"The signing of this letter of intent with BADP America marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards elevated sustainability," said Madu Etchandy, Vice President of Operations of GEM-Pack Berries. "By exploring the use of microbial-induced enzyme additive technology in our packaging, we aim to lead by example in the industry, demonstrating that eco-friendly solutions are both viable and essential."

GEM-Pack aims to set new standards in environmental stewardship within the agricultural sector through this alliance, as explained in a release. This latest endeavor with BADP America highlights a significant commitment to reducing the environmental impact of packaging and pioneering a path toward more sustainable agricultural practices globally.

This announcement aligns with increasing global consciousness regarding plastic pollution and following international calls for action, including local initiatives like California's plastic waste reduction legislation. The GEM-Pack and BADP collaboration represents a strategic move towards mitigating the environmental footprint of berry packaging on a large scale.

"We are excited to collaborate with GEM-Pack Berries on this groundbreaking project," commented Shin Sung Ko, Chief Executive Officer of BADP America. "Through the use of microbial-induced enzyme additive technology, we are confident that this initiative will not only benefit the environment but also set a new benchmark for sustainability in the packaging industry."

For over 70 years, GEM-Pack Berries has remained committed to sustainable practices and innovations. Stay tuned to ANUK to see what will come next from the berry supplier.